


i want to tell you (but i don't know how)

by unova



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: 5+1 Things, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, set in season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 03:31:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14685540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unova/pseuds/unova
Summary: Five times Star tells Marco she loves him and one time Marco says it back.





	i want to tell you (but i don't know how)

**Author's Note:**

> oof hello i needed to write a oneshot to get me motivated to write again so here's this
> 
> also the season 3 finale left me with a lot of feelings and i just needed to write fluffy starco

_1._

The first time causes his brain to short-circuit.

Marco had spent the first few months of their relationship musing over when was the appropriate time to finally drop the word _love_ towards her. He feared it was too soon, worrying it would strain their development. He didn’t want to risk things going back to being awkward when it came to the two of them. They had _just_ finally gotten over their mutual pining and entered a romantic relationship together. Though they were quickly and comfortably adjusting to the changes (because truthfully, it was still _them_ having fun together and going on adventures and having each other’s backs, just with more hand holding and now kissing), he still fretted it wasn’t the right time for the use of _love_ yet.

He wasn’t saying he _didn’t_ love her. It was quite the opposite, in fact: he loved her with his entire being. His feelings for her were nothing short of wholehearted adoration and care.

He just… didn’t want to overwhelm either of them or make things strange again by saying a word with such strong meaning behind it.

And yet here Star was, surprising and flustering him like always. The words had fallen from her lips so simply - _so naturally._ Marco could only stare at her in pure shock; with sweaty hands and a pounding heart. He could feel his face heating up in temperatures he didn’t even think was humanly possible. His mouth hung open, desperately attempting to form words yet only a small squeak of surprise escaped.

_Nice one, Diaz._

Star only gaped back at him with wide eyes, her mouth forming an ‘o’ shape. Even she was staggered at her own words. She blinked, slowly, and her cheeks began to flush behind the heart marks. She let out a drawn _‘uhhhhhhh’_ in response to Marco’s own pathetic noise. He was suddenly reminded of the photo booth incident, and how she had reacted when they had - well…

Suddenly, she swiveled around and took off down the hallway at the quickest pace he had ever seen from her. She hid her face in her hands as she yelled over her shoulder, “WellIgottagoMarcoseeyoulaterokaybye!”

He could only stand as still as a board as he watched her retreating form, then staring at the corner she had disappeared behind long after she was gone.

Their brief interaction was still reeling in his head, and he didn’t even notice when his hand reached up to clutch his chest in order to calm his hammering heart. He couldn’t stop the warm and content feeling blossoming inside him as the words she said repeated over and over in his head like a broken record -

_“There’s this super important and super boring meeting I have to attend. Apparently it’s ‘royals only’, or something.”_

_“And I have to do some knight training, so I guess we’ll see each other tonight. Good luck getting through your meeting!”_

_“Yeah, definitely! And I’ll try, oh believe me, I’ll try... Oh and be careful, the knights can be ruthless. Love you!”_

* * *

_2._

“Did it bother you?”

Marco jumped, startled at the sound of his girlfriend’s voice suddenly breaking the silence. He glanced up from the clutter of various royal documents scattered across the table, which he was organizing for Star to look over and potentially sign. He had been so focused on helping her out with her royal duties he had nearly forgotten she was sitting right next to him.

The queen was no longer reading through the stack of papers placed in front of her. Her glitter pen sat off to the side, having obviously been discarded until further notice. She had her entire body turned towards him, with her hands balled up on her knees. She had a desperate yet fearful look on her face; as if she were hopeful but still preparing for the worst. Star stared at the  boy intently, clearly waiting for his response.

Marco blinked once, twice, thrice - before letting out a confused, “Uh… did what bother me?”

His inquiry caused the heat to rise to his girlfriend’s cheeks, which struck Marco as odd. She slightly shifted in her seat. Although she was embarrassed about _something_ (evident in the pink dusting of her face), she still presented a determined stance. She looked directly into her boyfriend’s eyes as she clarified, “Did it bother you when I - when I told you I, um… well I don’t want to say it again in case it makes you uncomfortable or something, so uh...”

She trailed off, breaking her gaze with him by looking at the floor. She bit her bottom lip before continuing, “I’m talking about what happened yesterday. I just wanted to let you know that it sort of… slipped out, but I truly meant it. I just don’t want it to make things awkward between us again…”

Ah. She was referring to the _incident_.

It had barely been a day since _it_ occurred, yet the whole thing still caught Marco off-guard. Not in a bad way - not in the slightest - it was just… surprising. A good surprise.

“Why do you think it would make things awkward between us?” he questioned. He briefly wondered if she had the same reasoning he did - because _that word_ is a strong word. It meant commitment and sincerity and honesty. Yet judging by the look on her face and how it had stumbled out of her mouth, he felt that wasn’t the case.

“You just looked so _weird_ after I said it!” she exclaimed, meeting his gaze again, “you had these bugged out eyes and your body turned completely red and you made this weird noise - I almost thought you were being possessed or something!”

She stared at him, worry in her eyes. It hit Marco then that she was as worried over the use of the _l-word_ just as much as he was. Though both had their own anxieties and reasonings for it, it was essentially the same.

_Geez, we always seem to be in sync._

Marco shot her a reassuring smile in order to calm her. He hoped he could end their worries over declaring their love for each other by insisting he felt the same.

“Star - it’s okay! You haven’t made things awkward or strange again. I was just shocked after you said it, but a good shocked. Like, _a super flustered shock_ ,” He explained, reaching a hand up to comfortingly brush the girl’s bangs out of her face. Her blush deepened, and she took his free hand in hers. Marco felt his own face color at the contact, and his smile grew wider, “it actually made me really happy when you said it.”

Star giggled, beaming at her boyfriend. She seemed both relieved and cheerful now that they had talked about it. She then got a sly yet goofy smirk on her face, quipping in both a teasing and loving tone, “Well, in that case, I love you Marco.”

Marco instantly unfolded, becoming a mess of blushes and stutters. His reaction seemed to (correctly) come off as positive to her this time, due to the soft smile that graced her lips.

“You’re such a cute dork,” Star chuckled. Marco grinned at her remark, feeling the familiar and welcoming warmth enter his chest.

It’s when they had to return to their work that Marco realizes how much he wants to say it back.

_But how?_

* * *

_3._

He sits on the foot of his bed - _his Earth bed_ \- and feels his heart flutter at the sound of her laugh drifting through the speaker of his phone. He doesn’t even fully remember the stupid joke he made, because hearing her cheerful giggle _always_ made his very being melt. No matter how many times he had heard it (over the course of almost two years, to be exact), he was still so infatuated. He brings his phone closer to his ear, softly smiling at his girlfriend’s cute chuckles.

 _“Well, I’m glad your visit to Earth has been fun. I wish I could be there, but being queen takes up so much of my time…,”_ She mumbles.

Marco offers a sympathetic look even though he knows she can’t see him. “Yeah, but you’re doing great at ruling Mewni! I’m proud of you. Besides, I’m sure once we find your mom and the kingdom recovers from all the damage Meteora has done, you’ll have more free time.”

He hears a contented sigh from her side of the line. _“Thanks Marco.”_ Her voice was so quiet, yet so full of relief. Those simple two words told him that things were difficult and she was under a lot of stress, but just having someone there for her was enough to get her through the day.

And he was that someone.

Marco flushes at her response. He fell onto his bed as he tried to calm the heat rising in his cheeks. He felt both flustered and overjoyed that he was able to quell some of her miseries, even if just a little bit. Star makes him feel so happy and _light_ , so knowing he can return the favor made him feel so full of…

Love.

“Of course,” He said back, his voice just as soft as hers.

 _“But I’ll definitely be there when Marco Jr. enters the world!”_ she declared, her enthusiasm returning, _“He’s gotta have as much smiling and welcoming faces as possible for a special occasion, after all.”_

He lets out a warm laugh at her remark. “It wouldn’t even be the same without you! My parents consider you family, after all - Oh! That reminds me,” he interrupted himself, shooting up in remembrance, “I told them about us, and they’re really happy about it. I told you you had nothing to worry about.”

He teased the last part, fondly remembering how frantic she had been over his parent’s approval. He didn’t even know _why_ she was so worried over the subject. It was obvious his parents already cared a great deal for her. Then again, Marco himself had been pretty nervous over Star informing her father, King River, about them. River had mistaken the two as a couple since day one, and consistently expressed being fine with it. Not to mention Marco was worried over _Moon’s_ reaction when they found her (because frankly, Moon is very nice and nurturing, but also more intimidating than River).

Maybe it was just a _Star and Marco_ thing. Or something.

She breathed a sigh of relief over the line before playfully arguing with him, _“Hey! Your parents have always seen us as friends and only friends, so it was a little scary! I didn’t know what they were going to think!”_

“Well it’s fine, so you don’t have to worry.” Marco shot back in a light-hearted manner. He heard her start to giggle at their mutual teasing, and he soon joined in.

He loves this. He loves being best friends and lovers with her at the same time. He loves playfully teasing her and talking to her. He loves being with her. He loves _her_.

“I miss you.” he says before he can even think about it. It was true, though. Although he loved visiting Earth and chatting with her on the phone, it also evoked a feeling of longing for physical intimacy. He wanted to hug her and hold her hand and kiss her on the forehead again. 

She releases a silent gasp of surprise, and the call is quiet for a brief moment. _“I miss you too.”_ She replied sweetly.

A sudden shout comes from her side of the line, except it’s not from her. Marco slightly frowns and strains to hear what’s happening. He can hear what sounds like Manfred and Star discussing something. It’s hard to understand and he can only make out a few words, yet he knows it’s time for Star to hang up.

After about a minute of Star conversing with the royal servant, she returns to the call. _“I have to go. There’s a dispute among the townsfolk I have to settle.”_

Marco squashes his disappointment because even though he really wants to continue talking to her, he knows her duties come first. “I hope it goes smoothly. I’ll call you tomorrow night…?” He trails off, hoping her busy schedule would allow it.

He can’t help the smile that grows across his face when hearing her cheerful, _“I don’t have anything planned at that time, so as long as nothing comes up, then definitely!_

 _“Don’t worry about that too much, though. I want you to have fun on Earth and spend time catching up with your family and friends.”_ She then went on to say.

“I am and I will,” he beamed. She cared so much about him and he cared so much about her. “I’ll see you in two days. Goodnight.” Marco said, pouring all his adoration for her into his farewell-for-now.

_“Goodnight, I love you.”_

His mouth hung agape upon hearing those three words for the _third_ time. Star directing it towards him is still a bit surprising, to say the least. It’s not that he doesn’t believe it - far from it, actually. It just makes him feel so over-the-moon every time she says it his brain sort of… stops working.

He then remembers he wants to say it back. Yet before the ‘I’ part can even leave his mouth, she’s already hung up to tend to her royal duties. He stares at the ‘ _call ended’_ flashing on his screen, frowning and letting out a sigh of exasperation. He was extremely irritated with himself and his inability to say those three words at the _right_ time or _on_ time. Whenever he wants to be the one to initialize it, she’s already saying something else or it just isn’t the appropriate moment for it. And whenever he wants to respond she’s already gone or it’s, surprise surprise, bad timing.

_How is Star able to do it perfectly?_

Marco shakes his head. He laid back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Next time, he’ll definitely tell her.

* * *

_4._

She’s in so much distress it pains him.

Everything seemed to go wrong in the span of one week. First, Moon was allegedly spotted in a completely separate dimension. Star had been hopeful, and on the verge of tears over possibly seeing her mother again. The possible sighting turned up no hints or leads, however, and Moon was still nowhere to be found. Not only was Star deeply hurt and scared, but River was as well. Marco attempted to comfort the two, but knew it was best to leave the father and daughter alone so they could grieve together.

Then, Globgor finally made his entrance. He had sent his loyal followers to destroy villages across Mewni. It was a declaration of war.

Eclipsa and Meteora hadn’t shown themselves along with Globgor, so there was confusion over what side the Queen of Darkness and her daughter were on. Knowing Eclipsa had the wand and was _very_ powerful did not sit well with many Mewmans.

And Glossaryck - well, _no one_ really knew what he was up to.

Not to mention Star’s relationship with the Magic High Commision was growing more sour. When it was revealed the queen had given the Butterfly Wand to Eclipsa, they were absolutely outraged. Add that to the already hostile feelings concerning the Butterfly history and Globgor’s return, it was an understatement to say the queen and the Magic High Commision did not trust each other. (And although Marco got along with Hekapoo, he couldn’t really blame his girlfriend for being angry at the High Commision. He tended to side with Star when it came to the morals behind giving Eclipsa the wand and the High Commission's role in covering up the Butterfly family history, as well as their mistreatment of Eclipsa’s family and monsters. Marco, however, also talked some sense into the queen when it came to accepting the High Commission's help regarding the rising dangers closing in on Mewni. All in all, it was a tense yet professional relationship).

In just one week, Star had lost hope over finding her mother, Globgor had declared war, Eclipsa and Meteora had disappeared, Glossaryck was revealed to still be gone, and the High Commision had lost all faith in the queen.

To her credit, Star had managed to keep it together for the entire week. She kept up her professional and responsible exterior, even begrudgingly working with the High Commision and offering comfort to the citizens of Mewni. She started writing out a possible treaty with Globgor, but also set up battle plans if the attempts of peace went south. Even though it pained her, she decreased the number of search parties for Moon in order to have all hands on deck to handle Globgor. She did, however, reach out to other kingdoms Mewni was friendly with to help find Moon. Overall, she was doing remarkably well despite all the pressure.

Yet Marco could tell she was cracking. He was one of the few people who could read Star like a book and know when things were getting too much for her. After spending almost all of his time with her for over a year, he had learned the signs of her inevitable breaking point. And like how he had attempted to cheer her up when Oskar never called over a year ago, he would do anything to save her slipping optimism.

Which is why he had declared tonight a ‘Friendship Thursday’. It was still a tradition the two enjoyed, and they tried to celebrate it whenever they had a time. They still maintained the movie marathons and snacks like before when they were living in Echo Creek, there was just more cuddling and falling asleep against each other now that their relationship was _different._ Typical couple stuff.

Star’s first response to her boyfriend establishing Friendship Thursday was a monotone, “It’s Saturday.”

“That’s besides the point!” Marco exclaimed. He grabbed her by the hand and gently tugged her down the hallway, heading towards the ‘royal chambers’ area of the castle. There, his _Mewni bedroom_ already had the television, bean bags, dozens of different movie genres, and snacks ready to go. He had just been waiting for the right time for Star to call it a night on royal duties. Once she had waved off the guards and High Commission, declaring they would continue their meeting in the morning, he had eagerly dragged her away to put his plan into action. “You’ve been dealing with _way_ too much this past week. And don’t get me wrong - you’re doing great! It’s just… a lot, so you need to unwind and relax. It will help you get a fresher mindset to figure all this stuff out, you know? That, and it’s good for you overall.”

He reached his bedroom door as he finished his explanation. Pushing the door open, he dragged Star in with him before throwing it shut. He let go of her hand, excitedly running over to what he had set up for the occasion. He gestured towards the various snacks placed next to the two bean bags. “Look! I got your favorite snacks - nachos, cornshakes, candy, pizza, and even Captain Blanche’s Sugar Seeds! Uh, I don’t have any milk though, but I figured you could eat it out of the box if you want to.

“Oh! I also picked up a bunch of different movies,” he sat on the floor as he went through the stacks of DVD’s, listing off all the genres, “there’s romance, comedy, horror, drama… you can pick whatever movie you want to watch! The choice is all up to you.

“And - And!” He shot up, hands flailing towards the bean bags and television, “I brought your favorite form of cushioning - bean bags! I remembered how much you loved poking them when we went to that furniture store on Earth. I also brought the TV from home, my mom and dad said we could use it for tonight!”

He grinned and nodded towards his girlfriend, waiting for her reaction. Star still stood near the closed door, staring at everything with tired eyes (Marco, however, didn’t notice the spark of excitement and joy igniting in them).

When a minute passed and she still didn’t reply, Marco started to wonder if he was overwhelming her exhausted state. To not make her feel pressured, he quickly shot into another ramble, “But - uh, we don’t have to watch a movie if you don’t want to! We don’t even have to do Friendship Thursday. If you want to do something else or just be alone, I understand. Really, it’s all up to you. I’ll respect whatever you decide - whether if it’s with _this_ , or with everything going on.”

He stopped himself, slightly blushing of embarrassment due to rambling again. He still meant every word, though.

Star blinked, and then erupted into a fit of giggles. Her cheeks turned a dark shade of red and she held her hands up to her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. Marco could only observe her sudden change of behavior with a bewildered expression. _Was it something I said?_

Once Star had relaxed, she offered her boyfriend a soft smile and walked across the room to meet him. Taking his hands in hers and locking eye contact, she spoke with a grateful and loving tone, “Marco, you _sweet dork_.”

Hearing the sound of her voice, a little less tired and a little more _her_ , caused his small blush to deepen in an instant. He lovingly smiled back at her when she said, “Of course I want to spend tonight with you. I - _I miss you_. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to be with you as much lately-”

“Don’t apologize,” he interrupted. Her shocked face melted into one of appreciation as he continued, “Everything’s been crazy lately, and I understand you being queen is a super big deal, so don’t be sorry for that. I’m so proud of you. And I’m your knight - I’m not going anywhere.”

Star let out a sigh of relief. She pulled him closer and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, “Thank you, for _everything_. It really means a lot to me.”

Marco’s already red face must have rivaled that of a tomato now. Even after months of dating and her affection, she _still_ had this effect on him (he knew he most definitely had an effect on _her,_ though. He didn’t miss the way her face deeply flushed after the romantic gesture).

He really was in deep, and he _loved_ it.

“Of course, Star. Now…,” he said as he lead her towards the DVD stacks, “what do you want to watch?”

She chose a romantic comedy. After dimming the lights and settling into the bean bags - _with cuddling, of course_ \- the two munched on snacks and laughed at the movie together. It was around halfway through the film Marco saw the transformation. She was less tense and had more color to her. Her smiles and giggles were becoming more frequent and she seemed to brighten up upon eating her favorite foods. There was still the obvious exhaustion from the past week’s events, but it was less depressingly draining and more… _determined._ Like she was ready to take on the multiple problems with a new outlook and optimism. He ended up watching her more than he watched the movie, as he was overjoyed to see her feeling better (that, and she was just so _breathtaking_ to look at. Her golden hair and blue eyes reflecting the TV’s light caused his heart to beat at a million miles per hour).

It was when the movie was reaching its climax that Star sleepily rested her head on his shoulder. She was growing tired - he could tell from her half-lidded eyes and inability to further focus on the film. He soothingly stroked her hair, causing her to wrap her arms around him and sink further into her bean bag (that had sort of combined into one with his). Now, she lay her head next to his hip with her arms still around his waist. He let out a low, warm chuckle at her completely relaxed state before going back to gently playing with her hair.

He assumed she had fallen asleep, given her closed eyes and slow breathing, so when she sleepily mumbled it caught him off guard, “Marco?”

Recovering quickly, he quietly responded, “yes?”

“I love you.”

He stopped breathing for a mere second, in shock, but instantly snapped out of it. He opened his mouth to say it back, _because this time he was ready,_ yet the words died on his lips when she started to snore. He had been too late once more.

Marco silently huffed. He was a bit upset he couldn’t tell her _again_ , but he didn’t blame her. He too was rather exhausted after the past week, so it wasn’t hard to understand the events were taking a greater toll on the queen.

_Next time for sure._

He ran his fingers through her hair as he admired how peaceful she looked when asleep. He hoped she could achieve this level of calm sometime soon - when everything would become more tame.

* * *

_5._

Marco treks through the royal garden - avoiding the various terrifying plants only found in Mewni along the way - in search of blond hair and tired blue eyes.

Star had called for a break during yet another war meeting, and she used the free hour to get some air. She had told him she would be back shortly to eat dinner, yet when fifteen minutes passed and she still hadn’t returned, he took it upon himself to search for her.

An uncomfortable feeling in his gut told him something was _wrong_.

It had only been a week since Friendship Thursday occurred, yet Star appeared to be more ‘refreshed’ after that night. More light had returned to her eyes, she was level-headed, and she had that familiar little bounce to her step. Even though it seemed the world was crashing down around her, the _Star charm_ to her still remained. Not in its fullest form, however, but _there_. Marco continued to support her, and even gave his own input when appropriate and necessary. He was her knight (and boyfriend) after all.

Although the queen was feeling better, Marco knew she was still afraid. Terrified to death, even. He couldn’t blame her one bit - she had lost her mother and was forced to claim the crown in just one day. It still had rippling effects on her. Add that to Globgor and his army, it all was a giant stress-fest for her. He knew a million Friendship Thursday’s wouldn’t fix that. It could loosen her up a bit, yes, but not _fix_ it. Star fully recovering would be slow and gradual; it would take time. And so, Marco knew the best thing he could do was be there for her.

Which is exactly why Marco went looking for her.

He figured his girlfriend would go to the garden, since it was one of her favorite places in the castle. It was one of the first locations she had given him a tour on when he moved to Mewni. She always commented on how the air there was clean and smelt like lavender - the perfect place to ‘get some air’.

He paused his search to briefly admire the view from the garden balcony, his breath taken from him upon seeing the stretch of the kingdom under the bright night sky. The stars and Mewni’s three moons reflected on the rushing river, looking as if the cosmos had dripped out of the sky and trickled into the water. The villages had lights coming from the homes, with a few lanterns hung up here and there. The cornfields had a bluish glow from the bright moons above. A gentle breeze flowed throughout the kingdom, making the cornfields sway softly and leaving a nice tune in the air. Mewni was beautiful and gave off a vibe of serenity, despite the growing chaos within its most marveling site - the castle.

Marco tore his eyes away from the gorgeous sight, returning his attention to the task at hand. He continued to walk through the garden’s maze until he heard the faint sound of sniffling. Stopping in his tracks, he paused to hear better. He followed the sound, looking for any sign of the source. As he grew closer, a loud sob replaced the sniffling, nearly causing Marco to jump out of his skin. Severely startled by the sudden noise, his heart started to pound. Then, it began to break.

He recognized those cries.

He turned the corner of a hedge, freezing when he finally saw her. Star sat on a bench, with her legs tucked up against her chest and her face buried into her knees. She was curling in on herself; evident in the way her arms wrapped tightly around her legs and how her hair covered any sight of her face. She was sobbing, attempting to keep it quiet by taking deep, labored breaths. Her entire body trembled and shook with each sob that escaped.

She looked, and sounded, absolutely miserable.

Marco’s expression twisted from one of shock into a sad frown. He hated to see her cry - _he hated seeing her upset_ . He would give anything to make her smile, to make all these problems piling up on her shoulders go away with a simple snap of his fingers. He just wanted to make her _happy_.

_Just be there for her._

He carefully approached Star, taking cautious steps as if she were a frightened animal that would bolt at any moment. He sat down next to her, taking in her broken form. It killed him to see her this way.

Her head snapped up the second he settled beside her, only now noticing her boyfriend’s presence. Finally seeing her face, he instantly took notice that her eyes were completely red and puffy. Her cheeks looked dry and almost swollen looking. Her lips were chapped, and they couldn’t stop quivering.

They merely stared at each other for a moment before Star wailed and flung herself onto Marco’s chest. She sobbed into his hoodie, her entire body shaking as she clutched his back. Marco’s hands instantly flew to hug her with one arm, and he used the other to softly brush his fingers through her hair. He soothingly rubbed circles onto her back every so often, having no intention letting her go as she let everything out.

It was as if everything disappeared around them - missing mothers, Globgor, Eclipsa, Meteora, Glossaryck, the Magic High Commission, war, the pressuring duties of being queen at a young age. There was no Mewni or castle or three moons or the stars or cornfields or scary gardens - just Star and Marco _._

No words were exchanged between the two. There was no need for any.

Marco didn’t know how long they stayed that way. He didn’t know if their dinner had gone cold or if the meeting was back on. Frankly, he didn’t care. Nothing to him mattered at the moment except _her_.

After she had calmed down and there was nothing but the sound of crickets and beating hearts, she hoarsely - yet tenderly - muttered, “I love you.”

And that was when Manfred came rushing into their view, panting in front of the couple as he choked out, “My queen, we have found your mother.”

* * *

  _+1._

She’s right where she should be.

Curled up in his arms, resting her head against his chest, breathing slow. Eyes closed, sighing contentedly and completely relaxed. Arms wrapped loosely around his torso, curling further into him so she’s practically laying on his lap rather than the bed. She’s a little bruised and scratched up and sore, but she’s _here._

Safe. Alive.

Right where she should be, indeed.

“I love you,” Marco murmurs into her bangs. He kisses her forehead, cheek, and tip of her nose once, twice, three times, “I love you so, so much.”

Star lets out a dreamy exhale before lifting her head up to place her chin on his chest, looking up at her boyfriend, “You’ve been saying that for hours now, silly.”

And he wouldn’t stop. Never.

He had nearly lost her today. The memory of Globgor attacking Star with dark magic still played like a broken record in the back of his mind. Hearing her cry of anguish and seeing her butterfly form dissipate, and then watching helplessly as her motionless body plummeted toward the ground -

It was something he would never forget.

Yet hearing her breathing, her gentle heartbeat - it made the fear lessen. With every kiss and embrace the two shared, he felt nothing but pure _relief_. It reminded him that everything was okay now - Globgor had been defeated, Eclipsa and Meteora had chosen peace and became allies to Mewni, Glossaryck was still Glossaryck but at least where they could see him, and Queen Moon had safely returned.

But most importantly, he was relieved over her being by his side again. He still felt the tears of joy prickle behind his eyes - they had been there ever since she opened her own. Not only did he feel relief, but extreme and strong _love_ as well. For her.

She had to know - _always._

“And I’ll say it forever,” he responds, cupping her face with both hands, “so you’ll never forget how much I love you.”

A deep shade of crimson flushes across Star’s face, and Marco realizes it is _she_ who is too flustered to speak this time around. He chuckles at the sight, because it’s funny how the roles are reversed. That, and she’s absolutely _adorable._

She hides her face in his chest, groaning out an embarrassed, “Maaaaarrrcoooo!”

Marco laughs, and Star joins in.

**Author's Note:**

> title of this fic is from the song [neptune by sleeping at last!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkCB4ATLCo0)


End file.
